Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim  confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 47th ASEAN summit virtually, instead of traveling to Kuala Lumpur, due to Deepavali celebrations. In a social media post, he spoke of receiving a phone call from a colleague of the Indian Prime Minister last night to “discuss efforts to strengthen Malaysia–India bilateral relations to a more strategic and comprehensive level.”

“India remains an important partner for Malaysia in the fields of trade and investment, in addition to close cooperation in the sectors of technology, education, and regional security. We also touched on the organization of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur at the end of this month. He informed me that he will attend virtually due to the ongoing Deepavali celebrations in India at that time,” Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim said.

Anwar Ibrahim further stated that he respects PM Modi’s decision and extended his heartfelt Diwali greetings to him and the Indian population. “I respect his decision and extended my greetings for a happy Deepavali to him and the entire people of India. Malaysia will remain committed to strengthening Malaysia–India relations and further enhancing ASEAN–India cooperation towards a more peaceful and prosperous region,” he wrote on X.

No Face-To-Face Meeting Between PM Modi And Trump

PM Modi’s physical absence from the ASEAN summit means no face-to-face meeting between him and Donald Trump amid strained trade relations. The US President reiterated on Wednesday that India will significantly reduce its oil purchases from Russia by the end of the year. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance, Trump stated that after the process of ‘gradual’ phasing out, India will bring it ‘down to almost nothing’.

However, India denies Trump’s statement or any such agreement between the two countries. Trump had earlier imposed 25 percent tariffs with an additional 25% penalty on Indian goods for buying Russian oil. He had repeatedly urged New Delhi to diversify its energy sources